Love Bug
by Dragonmyst
Summary: Dylan sings! Beka faints. Tyr performs death defying feats of dexterity! Rommie head-bangs. Sound like fun? Read along with us!
1. He's gone mad!

Title: LOVE BUG  
  
Author: MysticDragon  
  
Rating: Pg-13 for a couple bad words  
  
Genre: Humor  
  
Pairings: Dylan/Beka (kinda) Tyr/Rommie (sorta)  
  
Disclaimer: Tribune has them under lock and key but I am helping them plan an escape if anyone wants to volunteer to help  
  
  
  
"Andromeda, this is the Eureka Maru, please acknowledge." Beka's voice said over the communicator.  
  
"This is Andromeda, Beka. Is there a problem?" The ship inquired having noted the stress in Beka's voice. In the background she could hear scuffling and what sounded like her Captains voice…singing?  
  
Beka did not immediately reply. Andromeda heard scattered pieces of a seemingly one-sided conversation Beka was having with someone.  
  
"Stop that. No, now quit it. Would you stop?" The next sound she heard was a muffled crash followed by a brief silence.  
  
"Andromeda, have Trance standing by in medical." Beka replied. Almost as an afterthought she added, "Have Tyr meet us in the docking bay as well."  
  
"What is wrong Beka? Where is Captain Hunt?"  
  
"It's a long story Andromeda and I would rather only have to tell it once. We will be docking in ten minutes. Beka out."  
  
Ten minutes later she and Dylan exited the Maru in Andromeda's docking bay. Tyr was waiting, as were Harper, Rev, and Rommie. Tyr stepped forward.  
  
"What is the emergency? Why was I summoned here?" he asked.  
  
"I thought it might be nice if you walked Dylan and I to the medical wing." Beka said trying very unsuccessfully to move away from Dylan. However, as if he were attached to her with glue, he followed only a step behind.  
  
"And why, pray tell, should I do that?"  
  
"Because we might not make it otherwise." Beka said trying to push Dylan away. He had wrapped his arms around her and laid his chin on top of her head.  
  
"Just what exactly is going on with you two? And why didn't you tell us sooner?" Harper joked.  
  
"I have no idea what is going on. All I know is Dylan was fine one minute and then the next he turns into freaking Romeo and starts swearing his eternal love for me. He has gone completely mad."  
  
"You are just now realizing this?" Tyr asked dryly.  
  
"Look, just get him off of me so I can walk and we can find out what the hell is going on."  
  
She looked around at the others. All of them were trying hard to hide their grins but failing miserably. Starting to move forward once more, she almost tripped. Looking down she found Dylan staring up at her from where he was kneeling in front of her. As soon as he knew he had her attention he started singing… "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine"  
  
"Now do you see why I needed you here?" She asked turning to look at Tyr.  
  
His only response was to begin backing away. Holding out his hands as if to shield himself he said, "I want no part of this. What if he is contagious? I will not risk subjecting myself to anything of that nature." With those words he turned and left the docking bay. As he turned the corner he could still hear… "Please don't take my sunshine away."  
  
Eventually the others were able to help Beka get Dylan to Medical. As soon as they entered Trance came running up to them.  
  
"What's wrong? Are either of you hurt?" she asked looking them both over.  
  
"Not yet." Beka muttered under her breath once again trying to move away from Dylan.  
  
Out loud she said, "Trance something has happened to Dylan. He has gone completely mad."  
  
As if to help prove her point Dylan started grinning like an idiot and saying, "Mad about you baby, I am mad about you."  
  
"Okaaaaay," Trance said, "tell me everything that happened.  
  
"Well there isn't much to tell. We had finished all the talks with the clans of Midrange and everything seemed normal. We followed the trail back to the Maru. After we had left the planet's atmosphere, I set autopilot for the rendezvous coordinates and Dylan and I decided to get something to eat. All of a sudden he grabs my hand and starts reciting love poems. Bad ones." She said with a grimace.  
  
"Dylan, can you tell me what happened?" Trance asked.  
  
"Sure. I fell in love with an angel. I just cannot believe it took me so long to tell her. But I swear Beka; I will tell you everyday from now on. Every hour, every minute." He said.  
  
"Would you please shut up?" she yelled at him. Turning to the others who were laughing aloud she added, "And you can all keep your traps shut too."  
  
Trying hard to control her laughter Trance said, "Dylan, I would like to run some tests on you just as a precaution."  
  
"There's nothing wrong with me Trance. Nothing except a deep, passionate desire for my darling Beka and this annoying little itch from a bug bite." Dylan said.  
  
"Bug bite?" Trance asked. "What kind of bug? Where is the bite?" she asked urgently coming forward to examine him.  
  
"The bite is right here." He said pulling up his sleeve to reveal a small red welt. "And I don't know what kind of bug it was. It was just a little furry red one."  
  
"Furry?" Trance asked in dread.  
  
"Yep, furry red thing, kinda looked like a worm. 'Cept worms don't have teeth do they?"  
  
"Trance, what is it? What is the matter?" Rommie asked. She had been relatively silent until now, concern for her Captain overriding the shock she was feeling at seeing him act this way. Shock and a little jealousy.  
  
"Oh dear." Trance sighed. "I hate to be the one to tell you this but Dylan has been bitten by a love bug." 


	2. explanation-whether you want it or not

Trance's announcement was met with stunned silence. Then all of sudden everyone began talking at once.  
  
"There is really such a thing as a love bug?" Harper asked. "Cool."  
  
"Is it permanent? Please tell me it isn't permanent. How long until he is back to normal?" Beka asked.  
  
"Is he in any danger? I find no mention of a love bug in my data banks." Rommie said.  
  
"The Devine works in mysterious ways." Rev recited.  
  
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…" sang Dylan.  
  
After a moment of trying to get everyone's attention, Trance started jumping up and down.  
  
"Would you people PLEASE be quiet!" she screamed.  
  
"Well you don't need to yell." Rommie said huffily.  
  
"Okay, now from what I know about love bugs, they are relatively harmless. The victim of the love bug seems to fall hopelessly in love with the first person they see regardless of who it is. They also may violently hate anyone who they think stands between them and the person they are infatuated with. However on the bright side their bites only last for forty- eight hours."  
  
"Thank goodness." Beka said.  
  
"However," Trance added, "you must be careful with what you say and do, especially you Beka. The toxin that the bug secretes enhances the victims' hormones, causing heightened emotions. Dylan will be very susceptible to our words and actions for a couple of days and we must not do anything to upset him unnecessarily."  
  
"What do you mean?" Harper asked.  
  
"Well, for example how he is acting towards Beka, if she rejects him too harshly he may become depressed. I have heard of love bug victims hurting themselves because the one they loved rejected them. But all of his emotions will be susceptible. Anything we say may cause him to become angry, frightened or upset."  
  
"You mean I have to put up with this? Please tell me you are joking Trance." Beka was currently trying to avoid Dylan's lecherous grasp by running around one of the beds with him in hot pursuit.  
  
"I am afraid not Beka. I think the best thing all of us can do is simply humor him."  
  
"Yeah, well that is easy for you to say." Beka replied, dodging around the bed once again. 


	3. Late night proposal

It had taken some time for the others to assist Beka in escaping Dylan's pursuit of her. She was finally alone in her quarters. She had wanted to sleep on the Maru but Trance had insisted on quarantining it until they were sure no more love bugs were hiding on the ship. Beka had tried to assure Trance and the others that Dylan had been bitten on the planet and not on the ship but they refused to take any chances. No one wanted to risk acting like Dylan.  
  
Shaking her head Beka had to chuckle. She never would have believed Dylan could sing had she not heard him herself. 'Of course,' she thought to herself, 'his choice of songs leaves much to be desired.' Turning out the lights she quickly fell asleep.  
  
Some time later Beka awoke to the feeling that she was not alone. Lying perfectly still she kept her breathing slow and steady. The person slowly approached her bed. Suddenly Beka sat up and grabbed the person, knocking them to the ground.  
  
"Andromeda, lights on." She called out. The room was immediately flooded with brilliance. Lying on the floor, pinned beneath her was none other than her Captain.  
  
"Just what the hell do you think you are doing Dylan?" Beka asked.  
  
"I just wanted to watch you sleep, to share in your beauty." Dylan answered looking up at her with adoring eyes.  
  
"Oh, please!" Beka said rolling her eyes. Standing, she proceeded to ignore Dylan.  
  
"Andromeda?" she called.  
  
"Yes, Beka?" answered the ships hologram, appearing in front of her.  
  
"Will you please see that Captain Hunt returns to his quarters and stays there?"  
  
"But Beeeka, I wanna stay with you." Dylan whined.  
  
"Yes, but Dylan that would not be proper. You are a High Guard officer and must maintain appearances." The ship replied.  
  
"I must?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, that is right Dylan. You wouldn't want to look bad in front of your crew would you?" Beka added.  
  
"No, I guess not." He replied but his face showed that he was troubled. Suddenly perking up he said, "But if we got married then no one could say anything about me being in your room at night could they? Could they Beka?" he asked excitedly.  
  
Instead of responding Beka sat down on the floor and buried her head in her hands. She began chanting repeatedly, "Why me?"  
  
"Oh darling, don't feel that way!" Dylan cried. "You deserve me more than any one else ever did."  
  
Beka began to weep hysterically at this statement.  
  
"What is wrong Beka? Are you crying? What did I do?" he questioned her.  
  
"I am sure she is fine Dylan. She is probably just so thrilled with your proposal that she is speechless. Why don't we leave and give her a little privacy."  
  
"You are right Andromeda. She is just crying tears of joy."  
  
He came forward and kneeled before Beka. "Don't worry my love, you just rest and tomorrow we shall make our announcement to our friends so they may share our happiness." He kissed the top of her head and turned to leave the room. Had he turned around he would have seen Beka raise her head and stick her tongue out at him. 


	4. Please not another one!

The next morning Beka made her way toward the dining area. As she was about to turn  
  
the last corner she heard someone approaching the area from the other direction. Correction, she heard Dylan approaching from the other direction. She was positive that was who it was because he was singing, again.  
  
"We're going to the chapel and we're gonna get maaaarrrried. Going to the chapel of looooovvveee."  
  
'Man, where does he get those songs?' she wondered.  
  
Deciding she wasn't hungry any longer, she turned and practically ran back the way she had come. As she turned the corner to enter the crew corners she ran into something very solid and fell backwards onto the floor.  
  
'Correction,' she thought looking up, 'make that someone.'  
  
Tyr was standing over her looking down at her. For some reason the expression on his face made her very uncomfortable.  
  
Reaching down, Tyr offered her his hand. Pulling her gently to her feet he said, "Are you injured? I am truly sorry; I should have been more careful and not blocked the corridor. Can you forgive me, lovely lady?"  
  
Beka stood there for a moment with her mouth hanging open. Shutting it, she tried once more to make some form of reply. It was impossible though, she simply couldn't think of a thing to say.  
  
"Rebeka, are you all right? I hope I didn't injure you in any way." Tyr said.  
  
"No, I'm fine." She stammered. "What about you? Are YOU all right?"  
  
"Were it not for this annoying itch," he answered, "I would say I had never felt better."  
  
"Rooooooooooommmmmmmmmiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee!" Beka screamed as she began running toward medical.  
  
"Now I wonder what her problem is?" he thought as he continued on his way whistling a merry tune. 


	5. He's itchy!

Andromeda's holographic form appeared in front of Beka.  
  
"Beka, are you all right?" she asked although she seemed a little distracted.  
  
"It's Tyr!" Beka screamed without stopping on her way to find Trance. "He's itchy!"  
  
Andromeda frowned. "We know." She stated simply just as Beka arrived at medical and hurried in to find Trance.  
  
Beka stopped in her tracks as she saw what was happening. Rommie was sitting in the middle of the floor much the way Beka was the previous night. However, it wasn't the fact that Rommie was sitting in the floor that astounded Beka. It was the fact that the avatar of the mightiest ship in the commonwealth was banging her head on one of the sick beds and blubbering like a baby that caught Beka's attention.  
  
"Trance?" Beka asked hesitantly. "What is going on?"  
  
"It seems Tyr went onto the Maru yesterday while we were all in here trying to figure out what was wrong with Dylan. Before we quarantined it." Trance replied while trying without success to get Rommie to stop putting dents in her bed frame.  
  
"And?" Beka prompted.  
  
"And when Rommie went to quarantine it, Tyr saw her. First, before he saw anyone else." She added ominously.  
  
"So now he is in love with her." Beka stated with a hint of amusement flitting across her face for the first time since Dylan had started acting so… well so Un-Dylan like.  
  
"He's going to find Dylan to ask p-p-permission to make me his m-m-mate." Rommie wailed, bashing another dent into the bed. 


	6. two for the price of one

After several minutes of trying unsuccessfully to console Rommie and get her to stop head banging the bed, Beka and Trance decided she was fine right where she was.  
  
"Trance, there is something I don't understand." Beka said. "Dylan started acting all lovey-dovey almost immediately. If Tyr was bitten and saw Rommie yesterday, why didn't he start showing symptoms sooner?"  
  
"Well, I am not really sure. If I had to guess though I would say it was one of two things."  
  
"And those things would be?" Beka asked exasperated. 'Really,' she thought, 'it is almost as hard to get an answer from Trance, as it is to get Harper to stop chasing women.'  
  
"Well, the first reason could simply be that since Tyr is a Nietzschean, he reacted differently to the bug's venom. However, since Dylan is also genetically enhanced that probably isn't the reason." She said.  
  
"And the second guess would be?" Beka prompted.  
  
"Oh, I figure that since the venom enhances a person's emotions, then the more real the feelings are, the quicker the reaction." Trance said with a smug grin.  
  
"But that would mean Dylan…" Beka trailed off. "Nope, wrong Trance. I suggest you come up with guess number three real quick." Beka said moving toward Trance.  
  
"Yipes!" Trance yelped backing away.  
  
"Actually," Rommie said looking up at the two ladies, "Tyr spent all night in his room, writing a ballad extolling his many wondrous virtues as to why he is fit to make me his mate. He then spent three hours this morning, reciting it to me. ALL forty nine and a half pages." She said with a sigh.  
  
"Oh man." Beka said. "And here I thought I had it bad with Dylan's sappy love songs." She couldn't help the grin that crept up on her face at the thought of what Tyr's ballad contained.  
  
Ignoring Beka, Rommie continued. "I didn't mind the parts up to his ninth birthday, but after he finished vividly describing how he killed his fifteenth victim, I was ready to vomit."  
  
"Uhm, Rommie." Trance said timidly. "You're an android. You don't eat so that really would have been impossible."  
  
Standing up so quickly she caught them by surprise, Rommie shook her finger in Trance's face and said, "Make me listen to Tyr reciting his life story one more time and you just may witness the impossible happening."  
  
Trance was saved from having to make a comment by the doors to medical opening. Everyone groaned when they saw Dylan and Tyr enter arm in arm. Both men wore large grins on their faces and all three women thought it made them look like clowns.  
  
"Hey, guess what everyone?" Dylan asked excitedly.  
  
"The Devine has come to take me now and put me out of my misery." Beka muttered under her breathe.  
  
Ignoring the fact that no one seemed in the mood to guess Dylan continued on. "We have a great big surprise for you."  
  
Rommie closed her eyes while listening to the records of what Dylan and Tyr had been up to while she was distracted. She opened her eyes with a look of utter horror etched on her face.  
  
"You can't be serious?" she said, looking from one man to the other.  
  
"What the hell is it?" Beka demanded.  
  
"Tyr and I have booked a double wedding for us at the Chapel of Galaxy-wide Love on New Vegas drift! Isn't that great?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Tyr added. "They were having a two for the price of one special."  
  
Their announcement was met with stunned silence and then the sound of two bodies hitting the floor in a dead faint.  
  
"Wow!" Tyr exclaimed. "They were so overcome with happiness that they swooned with delight."  
  
Trance just sighed. "Help me put them on the beds guys." 


	7. How much longer now?

"How much longer now?" Beka asked while lying on the bed in medical.  
  
"Twenty five hours and thirteen minutes for you. Twenty nine hours and forty three minutes for me." Rommie replied from the next bed.  
  
"Okay." Beka said with a deep sigh.  
  
A little bit later:  
  
"So now how long?" Beka asked.  
  
"Twenty five hours and nine minutes for you. Twenty nine hours and thirty nine minutes for me." was the reply.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Sure, no problem."  
  
And still a little bit later:  
  
"Now how long?"  
  
"Twenty five hours…" Rommie started but was interrupted by the door opening.  
  
Both women immediately closed their eyes tight and pretended to still be sleeping. Rommie even tried to affect a slight snoring sound to lend credibility to the act.  
  
"Relax, it's just me." Harper said, coming into the room.  
  
"Did they follow you?" Beka demanded.  
  
"No, you are safe for now. Trance has them in hydroponics trying to reason with them." He said with a grin.  
  
"Reason with them about what?" Beka asked jumping off the bed and facing Harper with a grimace.  
  
"Well," Harper said running his fingers through his hair, "do you want the bad news or the worse news?"  
  
"Give us the bad news first." Beka sighed.  
  
"Trance caught Dylan sending invitations for the wedding and the reception that is going to follow to all the leaders of the Commonwealth members." He said after taking a couple steps backwards.  
  
Beka drew her gun and turned toward the door. "I will be right back. I am just going to kill him now." She said as simply as if she were stating what she was having for lunch.  
  
"You can't." Rommie said sympathetically. "He is still my captain and I am afraid I can't allow you to do it. I really am sorry though."  
  
"You never let me have any fun." Beka whined sticking out her bottom lip and pouting.  
  
"Okay." Harper said looking a little distressed at having the two of them acting this way. "So maybe we should just skip the worse news."  
  
"No, you better go ahead and tell us and get it over with." Beka said.  
  
Harper backed all the way up to the door just in case Rommie decided to go the 'kill the messenger' route first. Very quickly he said, "Trance also caught Tyr inviting the Nietzscheans, ALL of them."  
  
Rommie cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. After a moment, she gently reached over and took the gun from Beka's hand. She began moving toward the door with an evil grin on her face.  
  
"Rommie, stop!" Beka ordered.  
  
"But Beka, he invited the NEITZSCHEANS!" Rommie said.  
  
"I don't care; if I can't have any fun neither can you. And it's no fair for you to use internal defenses either."  
  
Throwing the gun down in disgust, Rommie stalked back over to her bed. "Fine! See if I care." She said.  
  
With a sigh Beka also laid back down.  
  
"So how much longer now?" she asked.  
  
"Twenty four hours and forty nine minutes for you. Twenty nine hours and nineteen minutes for me."  
  
Harper just shook his head and left as quickly as he could. 


	8. Go to your room!

Trance stood in hydroponics trying to reason with the two men. So far the only thing she had been successful in doing was avoiding killing them both; she just wasn't sure how much longer she could restrain herself.  
  
"But Trance," Dylan said, "I thought Beka would be happy about having a really big wedding. Don't most women want big weddings?  
  
"Dylan, you know Beka isn't like most women. She is a very special woman and…"  
  
"I know she is Trance. She is the most special, most beautiful woman in the known worlds." Dylan interrupted with a goofy grin on his face.  
  
"I hate to disagree with you Sir, but my beloved Rommie is the most special, most beautiful woman there is." Tyr said.  
  
"I am sorry Tyr but I think Beka is much more special."  
  
"No, she isn't."  
  
"Yes, she is."  
  
"No, it's Rommie."  
  
"No, Beka."  
  
"Rommie!" Tyr screamed.  
  
"Beka!" Dylan yelled.  
  
"Boys!" Trance said coming in between the two men. "Now either the two of you start acting your age or," she paused for a moment, "or I am going to send you both to your rooms!" she added placing her hands on her hips.  
  
"Sorry." Dylan mumbled while looking at his shoes.  
  
"Yes, me too." Tyr said.  
  
"Good. Now as I was saying, both Beka AND Rommie are special ladies and they deserve to have a special wedding day, not a political catastrophe. I think we should keep things simple with just our little family."  
  
'What am I saying,' she thought to herself, 'there isn't going to be any wedding. I hope.'  
  
"Well, if you are sure that is what Beka would want." Dylan said.  
  
"I am sure." She said happily, thinking that perhaps she wouldn't have to kill them after all.  
  
"Whatever my Rommie wants she shall have." Tyr said. "She deserves only the best."  
  
"And what about Beka, she deserves only the best as well." Dylan said angrily.  
  
"Then it is a shame she is stuck with you." Tyr said snidely.  
  
"You take that back!" Dylan shouted.  
  
"I will not!" Tyr yelled in return.  
  
"You better!"  
  
"Won't"  
  
"Uh-huh!" Dylan said giving Tyr a shove.  
  
"Nuh-uh!" Tyr said returning the shove.  
  
Trance left the room trying to block out the sounds of their scuffling. When she got to the hallway and the door had closed behind her, she let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Andromeda, how much longer?" she asked plaintively.  
  
"Too long." The hologram answered with a sigh. 


	9. Bite Marks and Hair Tangles

"So now how long?" Beka asked.  
  
"Twenty four hours and eleven minutes for you. Twenty eight hours and forty one minutes for me." Rommie replied without bothering to open her eyes.  
  
"Are you sure?" Beka asked. "I am pretty sure the last time I asked you said it was twenty four hours and sixteen minutes."  
  
"That's because you asked just FIVE minutes ago. You do the math." Rommie replied sarcastically.  
  
"Well, you don't need to be so mean about it." Beka said with a small sob.  
  
"I am sorry Beka. I didn't mean to sound mean." Rommie said although she didn't really sound as if she meant it.  
  
"You don't sound like you are sorry. I mean I am having a really bad day and trying to cope with it all and then you go and be mean and it really, really makes me feel bad 'cause you are 'sposed to be my friend and then you go and hurt my feelings." Beka said tearily.  
  
"Oh for heaven's sake," Rommie yelled, "I said I was sorry so can it!"  
  
"Hmmph, I am not talking to you anymore!" Beka pouted and turned her back to Rommie.  
  
"Well, at least something is going right today." Rommie said also turning her back to Beka.  
  
A couple of minutes later the doors to medical opened. Both women jumped up and grabbed each other for support.  
  
"Beekkkaaaa!" Dylan whined, coming over to her holding out his hand. "He bit me!" he said pointing to Tyr.  
  
Beka sighed and reached for Dylan's hand. "Let me see it, you big baby." She was shocked when she saw Dylan's hand. She had been expecting to see A bite mark. Instead she saw about half a dozen of them.  
  
"Why the hell did you do this?" She demanded turning to Tyr.  
  
"He started it." Tyr said petulantly. "And he deserved it any way. Look what he did to my hair!" he said while turning around. Beka could barely contain her laughter at witnessing Tyr's braids all tied together into knots.  
  
"He said you weren't the most special." Dylan told Beka.  
  
"Only after you implied that my Rommie wasn't." Tyr added.  
  
Hoping to stop the argument she saw brewing, Beka turned to Dylan and said, "Let's go over there and get your hand cleaned up."  
  
"Will you kiss it and make it better?" Dylan asked with a hopeful grin.  
  
"Don't push your luck Bucko." Beka said with a grin of her own.  
  
Rommie watched them for a minute. Then with a sigh, she turned to Tyr. "Sit down on the bed and I will try to untangle your hair."  
  
"My thanks, lovely lady." Tyr said with a bow.  
  
"So this started because you were defending me?" she asked.  
  
"Yes. He had the audacity to imply someone was better than you." Tyr growled.  
  
"Well then I suppose I should thank you." She said with a shy smile.  
  
"It is my honor and privilege to serve you, Love." He said. "I would do anything for you."  
  
Rommie continued to untangle Tyr's hair. Every minute or so she would glance over at Dylan and Beka, watching what they were doing. Both of them were grinning and standing very close together. Rommie felt herself getting more and more jealous as she watched them. Tyr noticed the look on her face and his expression grew dim.  
  
"He will never love you, not like I do." He said quietly.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she asked although she knew what he meant.  
  
"Why do pine so for him?" he asked with a pained look. "He doesn't deserve you. I love you and would do anything to prove my love for you."  
  
Rommie was angry now; at herself you letting her emotions get the best of her and at Tyr for noticing.  
  
"You'll do anything?" she asked. "Fine, go throw yourself out an airlock." She said before storming out of medical.  
  
"As you wish my love." Tyr said determinedly. "I will prove my love." He left medical as well. 


	10. On the good ship Maru

Beka listened to Dylan, wondering how he could be so sweet and so irritating at the same time. It had been a while since any one had said such nice things about her as he was doing at the moment.  
  
'It isn't real though.' She reminded herself. 'It is just the bug juice in his blood talking.'  
  
She finished bandaging his hand just as Rommie stormed out of the room with Tyr only a few seconds behind her.  
  
"Gee, I wonder what's up with them?" Dylan asked.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine." She replied.  
  
"So, now that we are finally alone…" Dylan started putting his arms around her and trying to pull her closer.  
  
"Sorry, Dylan but Trance needs to me to uhm, to help her water her plants. See ya!" she called, hurrying out of the room and down the corridor.  
  
Once she was sure he wasn't following her, Beka leaned against the wall to catch her breath.  
  
'It's not real. It's not real.' She kept repeating to herself.  
  
'Yeah, too bad, huh?' her subconscious said.  
  
"Oh, shut up!" she yelled at herself.  
  
"Beka, are you all right?" Andromeda asked, appearing in her hologram form.  
  
"Just peachy keen." Beka said bitterly.  
  
"Good. My avatar form wants to speak to you. She is currently on command deck."  
  
"Fine." Beka said.  
  
When Beka arrived on command, she noted that not only was Rommie there but just about everyone else as well.  
  
"So what's up?" she asked.  
  
"We thought you might like to be informed that Tyr has taken the Maru." Rommie said.  
  
"What? What the hell did he do that for?"  
  
"We have no idea. We haven't been able to contact him. However, he didn't go very far. He is stopped just in front of us." Dylan said. Beka could see the image of her ship on the viewscreen.  
  
"Well, make him bring it back." She demanded, stamping her foot imperiously.  
  
"Yeah, right. Like that overgrown G.I. Joe wanna-be would listen to me. He bit me remember?" Dylan said.  
  
"Then you do it." She said, looking at Rommie. "He will listen to you. He loooooves you."  
  
"We aren't exactly on good terms right now. I sort of told him to go jump out of an airlock." Rommie said sheepishly.  
  
"You did what?" Trance demanded. "Didn't you hear me when I told you to be careful with what you said to him?"  
  
"I was careful. It wasn't like I told him to set fire to himself or shoot himself. I mean I certainly don't want a mess on me." Rommie responded, rolling her eyes.  
  
Andromeda appeared on the viewscreen. "I have an incoming recorded message from the Maru."  
  
"Let's hear it." Beka said looking at her ship intently for any signs of tampering.  
  
"Playing message."  
  
"This is Tyr. Calm down Captain Valentine. I have no intentions of hurting your precious ship. I made a promise to my beloved to do anything she asked of me to prove my love. Therefore I am honoring her request. Tyr out."  
  
"I am detecting the cargo hold of the Maru opening." Andromeda said grimly. "I detect no signs of Tyr aboard the Maru. 


	11. Oh My God!

"Oh my God! Oh my God! He really did it. I killed him! He's dead!" Rommie screamed in horror while jumping up and down.  
  
"But didn't you want to kill him?" Harper asked. "I mean before when you took Beka's gun, isn't that what you were going to do?"  
  
Rommie ceased her jumping around, much to Rev's relief, as it was making him slightly sick watching her.  
  
"Well, yes, I supposed I did want to kill him." She said. "But just because I wanted to kill him doesn't mean I wanted him to die."  
  
"Huh?" Dylan, Beka, Trance, Rev, Harper, and Andromeda all said at once.  
  
"Never mind." Rommie said exasperated.  
  
"Hold on. I am detecting something in space." Andromeda said.  
  
"Oh my God! Oh my God! It's his poor little dead body. I just know it. I killed him. Waaaaaaaaahhhh!!" Rommie cried.  
  
"Would you shut up?" Andromeda yelled. "I can not believe I am that annoying. We apologize to all of you for our behavior. We should not act the way she is acting as it is unbecoming to an officer of the Commonwealth such as myself."  
  
"Huh?" replied Dylan, Beka, Harper, Rommie, and Trance.  
  
"Ha, Ha, Ha!" laughed Rev. "I understood her! I understood her!" he chanted while doing a victory dance.  
  
"Anyway," Andromeda replied looking at Rev askance, "as I was saying before I interrupted myself, I have detected Tyr, alive, just outside the Maru. He seems to be wearing an EVA suit as well as a safety harness."  
  
"That jerk!" Rommie said indignantly. "I AM going to kill him for scaring me like that."  
  
"No, you aren't." Trance said shaking her finger in Rommie's face. "That is what started this in the first place."  
  
"No, Dylan started this when he brought that stupid worm back here." Rommie said.  
  
"Hey, it wasn't his fault." Beka said. "It was just a stupid accident."  
  
"Yeah!" Dylan said. "I was just a stupid accident."  
  
"You can say that again." Harper mumbled.  
  
"AH-HUM!" Andromeda said, clearing her throat. "We are receiving another message from Tyr. This one is a live transmission."  
  
Everyone turned toward the screen. There in front of them, alive and well, was their own beloved Tyr Anasazi.  
  
"I still want to kill him." Rommie muttered under her breath.  
  
"Rommie, my love, I thought long and hard about what I could do to impress you. At first when you asked me to jump out of an airlock, I was devastated. Then I realized you only wanted a display of my bravery and courage. I know that as a powerful warship, you probably don't find feats of strength and fighting skills very impressive. Therefore, I am going to demonstrate my more artistic skills. Now, for your viewing pleasure, I am going to perform a space ballet." He said as he began prancing and leaping through space. He turned a pirouette and then did a little curtsey. The effect was somewhat marred by the EVA suit.  
  
"Well, isn't that cute?" Rommie asked with a grin. Looking around she noticed she was alone. "Hey, where did everyone go?" she asked.  
  
"I believe they all went to the bathrooms." Andromeda replied, looking a little green herself.  
  
"Humph, no one appreciates art anymore." Rommie sniffed. Turning back to the screen she watched Tyr, occasionally clapping her hands when he did something truly artistic. 


	12. Pretty in Pink

Beka had made it back to her quarters after witnessing the first few minutes of Tyr's 'demonstration of love' for Rommie. Throwing herself across her bed, she tried to make out the jumble of emotions she had been going through for the last…  
  
"Andromeda, how long since Captain Hunt was bitten?" she asked.  
  
"Twenty five hours and fifty four minutes." Came the immediate reply.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Okay where were we? Oh yeah, now I remember.  
  
Throwing herself across her bed, she tried to make out the jumble of emotions she had been going through for the last twenty five hours and fifty four minutes. At first, before she knew what had happened to Dylan, she had been afraid. Then the fear had turned to extreme irritation as she was trying to get them back aboard to find out what was causing him to act the way he was. Then came the anger followed by occasional mild amusement. But slowly she started liking the attention he was paying to her. She had started to think maybe he really did like her. THEN she had witnessed Tyr's little stunt and all thoughts that anything Dylan was doing was real flew straight out the airlock.  
  
'Maybe I can just stay hidden here in my room until he is back to normal.' She thought.  
  
'Yeah, right.' Her subconscious replied. 'And maybe Harper will announce that he is giving up on women and joining the Wayist community to work along side Rev rehabilitating Magogs.'  
  
Before she could think of a scathing remark to make to herself, Andromeda's hologram form appeared in her room.  
  
"Beka, you have to stop him. Please don't let him go through with this." Andromeda begged.  
  
"Don't let who go through with what?" she asked.  
  
"I can't tell you."  
  
"Well then how am I suppose to know…" her question was interrupted by the door chime.  
  
"Is that Dylan?" she asked the hologram.  
  
"No, it's Harper."  
  
"Come in!" she called out, relief evident in her voice.  
  
"Hey Boss, I need to know what you favorite color is." Harper said.  
  
"It's pink. Why?"  
  
"Well, uhm, it's a surprise." He said, looking everywhere but at Beka or Andromeda.  
  
"A surprise?" she asked suspiciously. "Seamus Zelazny Harper, you better spill it right now or else."  
  
"Awww geeze, Beka. Dylan will have my head on a platter if I do."  
  
"And I will have it, among other things, if you don't." She threatened.  
  
"Okay, Okay." He said quickly. "After Tyr's little stunt, Dylan decided he needed to do something 'artistic' for you. So he has decided to paintAndromedayourfavoritecolor." He said really fast.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't quite get that." Beka said nervously.  
  
"He decided to paint Andromeda your favorite color." Harper said slowly.  
  
"You had to like pink didn't you? I mean why not black, or royal blue or fire engine red. Those are all nice colors. But no, you have to like PINK!" Andromeda complained.  
  
"Hey, there is nothing wrong with pink." Beka said.  
  
"Oh sure, it's nice for a summer dress or a cake frosting, but for a warship? I will be the laughing stock of the known worlds."  
  
"Look, just tell Dylan that I was asleep or that I don't have a favorite color." Beka said.  
  
"Can't. He asked Andromeda if you were awake before he sent me down here. And if I don't start painting today, he threatened to tell Tyr who it was that substituted the shaving cream for the whipped cream on his pie last week. You remember what Tyr threatened to do to the person if he found out who it was, don't you?"  
  
Beka paled visibly at the recollection of the vivid details Tyr went into for his punishment of the culprit. Even though it sounded impossible, she had no doubt what so ever that he could accomplish it.  
  
"Look, maybe I can talk to Dylan and convince him that I don't need any more proof of his 'love'." She sighed.  
  
"That would be great Boss!" Harper exclaimed.  
  
"Good luck." Andromeda muttered before disappearing.  
  
"So much for staying hidden." Beka said before taking a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and leaving to find her Captain. 


	13. its not possible, is it?

Tyr came back aboard Andromeda. Rommie was waiting for him in the docking bay. As soon as he had debarked the Maru, she ran forward, throwing herself into his arms. 

"You were magnificent." She said.

"I am happy that I could please you." Tyr said with tears of joy in his eyes.

Harper and Trance came into the room. 

"Uhm, Tyr, hi big fella. That was some performance you gave out there." Harper said trying his best to keep his laughter in check.

"I am a man of many hidden talents." Tyr said haughtily.

"I'm sure you are." Trance giggled. "Look Tyr, I know you and Rommie would like to spend some quality time alone, but you probably need some rest and Harper and I need Rommie's help with an experiment."

"As much as it grieves me to be without my love, I will make the sacrifice. We shall have the rest of our lives together."

"I shall count the minutes until we are together again." Rommie whispered before leaving with the other two.

"So what is this experiment?" she asked when they entered the hallway.

"Well, your main self has asked us to find out why you are acting so strange." Trance said without thinking.

"There isn't anything wrong with me. You just want to keep me away from Tyr." She said turning to leave.

"Grab her!" Harper yelled to a couple of the 'bots that Andromeda had sent just in case this happened.

"Put me down." Rommie yelled.

"Relax Rom-doll. The 'bots are just taking you to engineering so I can do a quick once over of your circuits." Harper said.

"There is nothing wrong with me." She replied.

"Rommie," Trance said, "you just spent three-quarters of an hour watching Tyr dance in space, and you enjoyed it. Then you hugged him and said he was magnificent. Something is definitely wrong."

"You are just jealous because you don't have a strong, talented, handsome, hero type man willing to do something so wonderful for you." Rommie said, turning her nose up at Trance.

"More like a overgrown, insane, scary looking, homicidal maniac type man." Trance whispered to Harper.

He burst into laughter. When Rommie turned her head to glare at him, his laughter quickly turned into a coughing fit.

Arriving at engineering, Harper moved ahead and began preparing his equipment for Rommie's checkup.

A few minutes later, he had the results and was shocked at what his findings were showing him.

"Well, what is it?" Trance asked looking over his shoulder at the readings.

"This is unbelievable." He gasped. 

"What is?" Rommie asked grumpily.

"It's not possible, is it?" Trance asked amazed.

"What's not?" Rommie asked, trying to get loose from the bots to see the results.

"Rom-doll, it seems that you have been bitten by the love bug too." Harper answered.


	14. Help Wanted

Beka stood outside the door of Dylan's office. She had been standing there for almost twenty minutes trying to get enough courage to knock. Andromeda's hologram appeared beside her. 

"He won't answer if he doesn't know you are here." 

"That is what I was hoping for." Beka said sheepishly.

"Well, you are leaving me no choice." Andromeda said before activating the door chime herself.

"Turncoat." Beka muttered.

"Sorry, but there is no way I am going to be painted pink." Andromeda said huffily.

MEANWHILE:

There was a moment of silence before Rommie started laughing.

"You two really had me going there for a minute." She said.

"Rommie, we aren't joking." Trance said.

"I am an android. You know, a machine? I don't get bitten."

"Well, technically, you weren't bitten. It seems the wormy thing got into your circuits and left its venom on them. It has slowly eroded some of the ones that effect your emotions." Harper said.

"I don't believe it. You are both just jealous because Tyr and I are happy."

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this but you have left me no other choice." Trance said. "Andromeda, play back the command scene."

Rommie watched as the previous activities were replayed. She watched in growing horror as she saw the way she had behaved. When the scene switched from command to the docking bay and she saw with her own eyes the lovesick way she threw herself at Tyr she sank to the floor. 

Turning back to Harper she said in a tiny voice, "Help me."


	15. Something to look forward to

Beka watched the door to Dylan's quarters open in what seemed to be slow motion. She turned to try and run but Andromeda had stationed a couple of bots at the end of each corridor so that any means of escaped were cut off. She turned back to the door just as it opened completely. Pasting a fake grin on her face, she greeted Dylan.

"Hi Dylan, can I come in?"

"BEKA! I am so happy to see you." Dylan said ushering her into the room. Please, have a seat."

Beka turns toward the couch reluctantly.

"WAIT!" Dylan yells.

"WHAT?" Beka asks, holding a hand over her heart as his scream had startled her.

"Let me help you." He says, going to the couch and fluffing the cushions.

"There, much better." He says happily.

"Yes, sooo much better." Beka says mockingly. Dylan, however, did not seem to noticed her insincerity as he was bustling around the room, lighting candles and fixing Beka a drink.

"So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" he asked.

Beka resists the urge to roll her eyes but smiles instead.

"It's about Andromeda's makeover."

"Who snitched?" he asked, sounding slightly perturbed.

"I dragged it out of Harper." She said.

"Humph, I would have thought he would have been the last to break with my threat."

"Yes, well ordinarily, but I can be very persuasive when I want to be." Beka said, with a wicked grin.

She smiled wider when she heard him gulp. Getting back to the matter at hand she spoke.

"The thing is Dylan that I am not sure we should paint Andromeda." At the hurt puppy dog look on Dylan's face, she hurriedly added, "It's not that I don't appreciate it. I do. It is a very sweet thought. But it isn't a good idea to have a warship that's painted pink."

"Your favorite color is pink?" he asked disbelievingly. "I would never have thought that."

"Why not?" Beka demanded with a slight blush. "It just happens to be a very nice color."

"Of course it is." Dylan said, smiling. "It's just not what I expect from my oh-so-tough, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants, hot-shot pilot."

"Yeah, well, never tell anyone or I'll clean your clock. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Dylan said with a chuckle.

"Anyway, as you can see, it just isn't practical to paint Andromeda pink."

"How about if we just paint the interior?" Dylan asked.

"Not a good idea when we have dignitaries on board."

"The observation deck and maybe hydroponics?" 

"No!"

"How about just the cargo bay?" Dylan pouted.

Seeing a way to perhaps get Dylan to compromise until the venom wore off, Beka said, "How about we let Harper paint just one of the empty crew quarters? That way we can be sure I like the shade of pink he picks."

"Okay!" Dylan said, brightening considerably. "Then if you do like it, we can paint all the crew quarters and then command and then…"

Beka interrupts him by raising her hand. "Just the one room right now. Okay?"

Dylan sighs, "Okay. It's just that I really wanted to do something special for you like Tyr did for Rommie."

"Dylan, you don't have to do things to impress me. Believe me, it's the last thing I want. Besides, you and Tyr are totally different. You are both good at different things. For example, you are a great Captain, a great Go player and really good at basketball. Tyr is good at looking out for himself, cheating, a really good cook…"

"How do you know he can cook?" Dylan demanded.

"Uhmm," Beka said, knowing she had just opened a can of worms, and feeling as though she had just eaten half of them, "well he, kind of, cooked for me, once, a really long time ago." She stood up quickly, "Well, now that we have the remodeling thing settled, I really should be getting back to my duties, you know doing all that First Officer stuff I gotta do. Bye Dylan." 

Dylan, however, wasn't letting her get away with running out. He grabbed her arm as she tried to get past him. "So Tyr is a great cook, is he?"

"I didn't say great, I said good." Beka mumbled.

"Well, I'll have you know I can cook, too." Dylan said peevishly.

"Really?" Beka asked nervously, afraid of where this was leading.

"Yes. I will cook for you tonight, just the two of us, so you can see I am just as good a cook as Chef Tyr."

"Great, can't wait." Beka gulped.


	16. It could be worse

"You have to help me." Rommie repeated. "I can not be in love with Tyr! He's Tyr! But then how could anyone not love him? He is gorgeous and strong and well mannered and he has the dreamiest eyes ever and …" she trailed off, burying her head in her hands. When she looked up, it was with determination. "Fix me Harper, now, before I say anything else that stupid again!"

Harper knelt beside her. "Of course I am going to help you Rom-doll. Was there ever any doubt that your one and only resident genius would leave you to a fate such as that?" He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. "Only, it might take a while." He muttered.

"How long is a while?" Rommie asked dangerously.

Harper quickly stood up and went to stand behind Trance. "Ten or twelve hours." He squeaked.

"What?" Rommie screamed. An electrical spark jumped out of the console behind Harper, stinging him sharply on his backside. "You fix me NOW, Harper!" she demanded.

Harper didn't answer her, as he was busy hopping around holding his butt as if afraid she would shoot him again. 

"It isn't Harper's fault, Rommie." Trance said. "He is going to have to build and then replace all the wires and circuits that the venom has compromised as well as cleaning the rest of your systems to make sure that no venom remains inside you to cause any further damage."

"But twelve hours?" Rommie whined. 

"It could be worse." Trance said with a vicious grin. "It could be the entire forty-eight."


	17. Fairy Tales might come true

"Oh man, I just though of something really, really scary." Harper said while still fanning his bottom. 

"What?" Rommie and Trance asked simultaneously.

"Jinx." They both said, again at the same time. Almost.

"I do believe I spoke three-tenths of a second before you did Trance. Therefore I am the winner and you are the loser." Rommie said with a smirk.

"Come on you two." Harper said. "I am talking mundo major scare factor here and you two are playing childish games." He looked from one to the other but neither would acknowledge him.

"Okay already." He sighed. "Rommie wins. You happy?" he asked her.

"Extremely." She said.

Trance, however, looked anything but happy. 

"Trance, Trance, Trance." Harper said impatiently. "There, all better."

"Thanks, Harper." She said sweetly, while turning her nose up at Rommie.

"Can I continue with my big scary thought now?" He asked.

"Of course." The two women replied together.

Harper clamped a hand over each of their mouths before they could start again.

"What I was thinking about was…Tyr."

"What about him?" asked Trance.

"Yes, why would you be thinking of him? You should be thinking of how to fix me quicker." Rommie said.

"That is just it. If I fix you so that you no longer love him, he is going to be furious and then he will blame me for fixing you and come after me and grind my bones to make his bread or squeeze my eyes to make jelly. And I don't care if it is supposed to taste good on toast, I don't want my eyes squeezed!" Harper was steadily getting more agitated as he spoke and ended his panic attack with a squeal.

"Did any of that make sense to you?" Rommie asked.

"Not one little bit." Trance replied.

"Good, glad to know I am not the only one." 

"HE WILL KILL ME!" Harper screamed. "You said it yourself Trance, victims of the love buggy can violently hate anyone they think is trying to come between them and their loved one."

"Did I say that?" Trance asked.

"Yes, you did." Rommie replied.

"Guess I shouldn't have said that."

"Probably not." 

"So what are we supposed to do about it?" Harper asked.

"I have no idea." Trance said.

"Me either. Shall we get started on the repairs?" Rommie asked.

Harper just groaned.

A.N.-for any who may be fairy-tale illiterate (like my hubby) and to give credit where credit is due--- the **grind his bones to make my bread** is a reference to the giant in Jack and the beanstalk and the **squeeze the eyes to make jelly** is a line out of Shrek. 


	18. To fry or not to fry?

"Okay. So maybe this wasn't one of my better ideas." Dylan mumbled to himself.

 He was in the kitchen looking through recipe files. An enormous amount of pots, pans, bowls, and cooking utensils were spread out on the counters around him. Although he had barely started preparing anything, his face was already streaked with flour and several broken eggs littered the floor around him.

"Andromeda?" 

"Yes, Captain?" Andromeda asked, appearing before him. She arched her eyebrow as she noticed the 'Kiss the Cook' apron he was wearing, but refrained from saying anything since it at least matched the 'Born to Bake' chef's hat he wore.

"Do you fry the egg before folding it into the batter?" he asked, looking up at her.

Had she not been programmed in diplomacy, Andromeda probably would have said some things that her Captain might have thought offensive. Instead, she simply shook her head.

"No, Captain. I believe the recipe wants you to use uncooked eggs for the mixture. If you are having difficulties, I could find Tyr and ask him to assist you. He is quite a good cook you know."

"So I've heard!" He muttered with a look that could boil the potatoes he had sitting on the stove, if he had not already burned them to a crisp. "Never mind Andromeda. I will figure it out myself." He said through gritted teeth.

"Of course Captain. Will there be anything else?" she asked.

"Not at the moment." He said, turning toward the refrigeration unit. He turned his head to look at her. "But I will need four of the bots…"

"Look out!" Andromeda warned, a split second too late.

Dylan stepped in the broken eggs and went sliding across the floor. He crashed into the cabinet where the open flour container was sitting beside a bottle of cooking oil. 

"Oooh! That has got to hurt." Andromeda said.


	19. Roses are red; Violence is black and blu...

Trance and Rommie were in medical. They were quietly discussing the events of the last half hour and trying their best not to laugh out loud. However, as the object of their amusement finished dressing and pulled back the privacy screen, they both began to giggle.

"Yeah, yeah. Have your fun. But remember who makes the duty roster out. I have a feeling a lot of people are going to end up on trash detail." Dylan groused as he hobbled to the door. Before he completely reached it, the door opened. Tyr was standing in the doorway. Dylan looked up at what he was carrying and promptly began to mutter.

"I do not want to know. I really don't." He continued on his way out of the room, ignoring Tyr's curious looks and the women's laughter.

Once Dylan was out of the way, Trance and Rommie got a better look at what Tyr was carrying. Or rather Trance got a better look at it; Rommie was too busy staring at the way the weight of his load was causing Tyr's muscles to strain.

"Oh my goodness!" Trance exclaimed, running forward to help Tyr with his load. "What in the world happened?"

"I had to umm, subdue him for his own good." Tyr said, laying Rev on one of the beds. The first thing Trance noticed was Rev's clothing. He had exchanged his drab Monk's robe for a bright blue and purple flowered gown, one of her nightgowns actually. The second thing she noticed was his injury.

"What did you subdue him with, a entire Nietzschean fleet?" Trance said looking at the large bump on the Magog's already bumpy face.

"He left me choice. He was behaving very strangely."

"How so?" Rommie asked, finally tearing her eyes away from Tyr's muscles with a sigh.

"He was prancing around the corridors in that, that, that garment thingy." He said, pointing to the gown Rev was wearing. "He was singing and scattering flower petals all along the hall. When he saw me, he put this flower in my hair and then he…" Tyr stopped. He took a deep breath and a shiver ran along his spine.

"What did he do, Tyr?" Rommie asked gently.

"He HUGGED me!" the warrior said, with obvious revulsion. 

"Oh, dear." Trance said. "I hope this doesn't mean what I think it means."

"So do I! Tyr is mine! How dare Rev try to make a move on my man." Rommie growled.

"Do not fret, Love. I belong to you and to you alone." 

A/N: We apologize for the interruption. However, we are being forced to delete the next few lines between the two lovebirds because the Board of Health declared it dangerous to one's health, sanity, and digestion. We now return you to your regularly scheduled story.

"Look, why don't the two of you go somewhere else to do that." Trance asked, looking a little green in the face (which clashed horribly with her purple skin tone). "This is a medical facility. People come here to get well, not to get ill."

"Come, my darling. We shall go and get started on the plans for our wedding." Tyr said.

"Rommie." Trance called.

"Yes, Trance?" 

"I need to talk to you about that experiment Harper is working on for you for a minute." 

"Tyr, wait for me outside please."

After Tyr left, Rommie turned to Trance.

"You know I really don't think that is necessary."

"Yes, it is!" Andromeda replied, appearing suddenly before them.

"But whyyyy?" Rommie moaned.

"This is why." Andromeda said. She suddenly changed appearances. She was wearing a hideous wedding dress and carrying a bouquet of dead flowers. "Is this what you really want?" she asked.

"No, of course not." Rommie said emphatically. "I prefer roses." She added before following after Tyr.


	20. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Beka was walking down the hallway, heading toward medical. She was hoping Trance would be able to provide her with some anti-nausea medication, as well as something to help prevent food poisoning; just in case. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in Dylan's cooking abilities; it was just that…okay, it was just that she didn't have faith in Dylan's cooking abilities. She thought back on the one time he had been allowed to cook breakfast.

'At least those pancakes came in handy.' She thought. 'Harper was able to use them to seal off several holes in the Maru's hull.'

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tyr and Rommie coming toward her. She did a double take to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was. They were holding hands and talking in whispers. Both of them had goofy, lovesick smiles on their faces. Beka tried to turn down a side corridor to avoid them but they had already seen her.

"Ahh, Beka. Just the person we were looking for." Tyr said.

"Really?" Beka asked. "Well, I am sorry but I am in a big hurry so I'll talk to you both later." She tried to walk around them but they wouldn't let her.

"This won't take but a second Beka. It's important." Rommie said with a pleading tone.

Beka sighed. "Okay, what's up?"

"Well, Tyrsie and I have been discussing plans for the wedding and we wanted to know if you had chosen your colors yet." Rommie said.

Choosing for the moment to ignore the 'Tyrsie' comment, Beka asked, "What colors?"

"Your colors for the flowers and bridesmaid dresses and decorations and all that important stuff, of course." Rommie said with surprise. "Surely you and Dylan have discussed this. Our weddings are in a few days, you really should get things organized."

"Actually, it might be better that you haven't decided." Tyr said. "Rommie was telling me that your favorite color is pink."

"Yeah, so?" Beka asked suspiciously.

"We chose red for our color. If you went with pink, it would clash horribly." Rommie said. "So you need to pick something else. After all, and I am sure you will agree, our weddings should be perfect. Pink and red just would be horrible together."

Beka shook her head disbelievingly. Once again she found herself chanting "Why me?"

"Well, it is only fair Rebeka." Tyr said. "Rommie chose first, so you should be willing to choose something that will complement our color."

Beka just stared at him as if he were speaking in a foreign tongue.

"And while we are on the subject, I think you should tell Dylan he needs to dress in civilian clothes. I am not wearing a uniform and it would be tacky if he did. He should wear a tuxedo. I am going to wear one of those really cool white ones with the tailcoat. I have always wanted to wear one." Tyr said with a grin.

Beka slid down the wall until she was seated on the floor.

"Really, Beka." Rommie said. "You should be taking this a bit more seriously. After all, your wedding is the most important event of you life. If you can't do something as simple as choosing a color, how are you going to make the really important decisions like choosing what to serve at the reception or where to go for the honeymoon?"

Beka began sobbing into her hands.

"Maybe we should let her do pink if it is that important to her." Rommie whispered.

"Yes. Poor thing seems to be overwhelmed with all the responsibilities for making plans for her and Dylan. I think I may just have to have a little talk with him about putting it all on her and not helping." Tyr said menacingly.

"Well, I don't blame Beka for doing it all herself. You know how Dylan's plans are." Rommie added sagely.

"True, all too true." Tyr agreed.

Rommie turned back toward Beka who was still sitting on the ground.

"It's okay Beka. We can both do pink. I don't mind." Rommie said, patting Beka's arm reassuringly.

"Sure, why not?" Beka said, her voice bordering on hysteria. "There is nothing wrong with pink after all. It is a perfectly nice color."

"Of course it is." Tyr said


	21. Protocol and Personal Opinions

Tyr and Rommie continued down the corridor, leaving Beka sitting on the floor in the middle of the hall.

"Are you sure she will be okay?" Rommie asked. "She wasn't exactly acting normal. Maybe we should have stayed with her a bit longer."

"I am sure she will recover. I think a bit of solitude will do her good. She seems to be developing a bit of a case of what humans often refer to as pre-wedding jitters."

"You might be right. It may be prudent of us to go ahead and make plans for her and Dylan while we make our own. I would hate for our ceremony to be ruined because they forgot to do something."

"That is a good idea. However, I definitely feel we should plan separate honeymoons."

"Oh, I absolutely agree with you there." Rommie said with a sinful grin. "I want you totally to myself with no one we know within ten slipstream jumps of us."

"I like the way you think." Tyr said, matching Rommie's grin with one of his own.

"Really? Then you would love what I am thinking now." She purred.

Tyr wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He leaned in, drawing ever closer to her lips.

"STOP THAT!" Andromeda's hologram form shrieked. "Desist with this abominable behavior at once."

"Why should we?" Rommie asked.

"Because, because it is against protocol!" Andromeda answered.

"No, it isn't." 

"Yes, it is."

"It isn't."

"Well, it will be in a minute." Andromeda said. "So stop it now or as soon as I add it to the protocols, I will come back and toss you both in the brig." She quickly disappeared.

"She is NOT invited to the wedding." Rommie said crossly.

"Never mind. There is always at least one like her in every family." Tyr said. "So what were we discussing earlier?"

"We were talking about our honeymoon."

"That's right. I had a travel flexi I wanted you to see. I must have left it in medical when I dropped off the Magog. Stay right here and I will be right back."

A few minutes after Tyr had left Harper came around the corner.

"Hey Rommie, just the babe I was looking for. I have most of the parts ready for your repairs. I just need to finish up some minor details and then we can begin 'debugging' you. Get it, 'debugging?" he said laughing.

"Yes, Harper; very amusing. However, I am happy with the way things are. It is totally unnecessary for you to perform any repairs."

"What are you talking about? A few hours ago you were quite literally lighting a fire under my butt so I would work faster. Now you don't want the repairs? What gives?"

"Nothing gives Harper. I just realized that you are wrong. There are no problems with my circuitry. Tyr and I are in love. I am sorry if the rest of you can't accept that."

"Rommie, you can't be serious. Oh man, this is worse than I thought. Rommie the only reason you think you are in love with Tyr is because of the love bug venom. That is also the only reason he thinks he is in love with you. Come on, this is Tyr we are talking about here. He doesn't care about anyone or anything but himself.

"Be quiet Harper."

"No, you have got to hear me out. Tyr is an obnoxious, overbearing, egotistical, asinine Uber."

"Please hush Harper."

"He is self-centered, self serving, and just plain old selfish."

"Harper…" Rommie hissed.

"Wait, I am not through."

"Really? Well, by all means then, do continue." A deep voice said.

Harper looked up slowly. "Awww, crap!"


	22. Play nice

"Hello, boy." Tyr said, with a malicious grin.

"Uhmm, hi big guy. I guess you kinda heard me there, huh?"

"Yes, I did."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't exactly what it sounded like. I was trying to make a point for Rommie's sake and well, you know me. I have a habit of saying things I don't really mean. When I called you all those really horrible, nasty, mean, demeaning…"

"You really should quit while you are still breathing." Tyr growled menacingly.

"You're right, I should. I will. I am. Bye."

Before either Tyr or Rommie could react, Harper spun on his heel and took off running as though his life depended on it, which it most likely did. Rommie held out her arm to try and stop Tyr from following but she was too late. He took off after Harper at lightning speed. Rommie barely had time to call after him before he disappeared.

"You two play nice and don't make a mess. The wedding reception will be in a few days and I really don't want to have any major repairs to do before then."

Shaking her head, she continued along the corridor.

Beka was still sitting on the floor when Tyr passed her on his way back to medical. She chose to ignore him completely but after he returned the same way once more, she decided it was time to get up and move.

Beka entered Medical to find Trance fussing over one of the beds. She couldn't exactly see who or what was lying on the bed at first. She walked over closer and was only slightly surprised to see Rev lying on the bed. What she was surprised to see was what Rev was wearing.

"Trance?"

"Oh, hi Beka." Trance said cheerfully.

"Trance, despite the fact that I know I really shouldn't ask, why did you dress Rev in one of your nightgowns?"

"Oh, I didn't." Trance giggled.

"But…"

"He did it himself. I probably should be mad that he went through my clothes and borrowed it without permission, but he just looks so darn cute in it that I really don't mind at all."

"Why is he here and why is wearing that thing?"

"He's here because Tyr knocked him out and brought him here. Tyr said he was acting really funny which I guess is why he is wearing my nightgown."

"Please don't tell me he got bitten too." Beka said.

"Okay, I won't tell you." Trance said, turning away from Beka to continue fussing over Rev.

 Beka held her hands out in front of her and made as if to strangle Trance but at the last minute got a grip on herself and lowered them.

"So who did he see first?"

"Well, Tyr brought him in here. He said Rev had hugged him but I am not really sure if that means Rev is in love with him or if Rev just loves him. Tyr didn't seem to care one way or the other though."

"Can't say that I blame him there." Beka mumbled.

At that moment Rev begins to stir. Both women move to stand next to his bed. Rev Bem opens his eyes and looks from one face to the other. He smiles.

"Beka, my dear child, I love you. And you sweet Trance Gemini, I love you. I love everyone and everything."

"Even Tyr?" Trance asked.

"Of course, I love him too."

"That's so sweet." Trance said happily. "But," she whispered, "I wouldn't tell Rommie that if I were you. She gets really jealous."

"It shall be our little secret then." Rev whispered back.

"I really need a vacation." Beka sighed before turning and leaving.


	23. At odds and even

Tyr had been searching for Harper for almost thirty minutes. He had almost caught the boy once, had in fact grabbed his shirt, but being as wiry as he was, Harper had squirmed out of the shirt and taken off again. Tyr was about to give up and return to Rommie when he passed by the kitchen. Hearing several loud crashes, he ventured in, expecting to find Harper trying to hide in one of the cabinets. Instead what he saw caused him to stop in his tracks.

Dylan stood in the kitchen once again wearing his 'Kiss the Cook' apron. His chef's hat now covered a large bandage that was wrapped around his head. The kitchen itself could and should be deemed a disaster area. Every cabinet stood open with their contents strewn across the counters. Something was burning on the stove and a decidedly foul odor was coming from a pot in the sink. Dylan, however, seemed to not notice any of this. He stood behind one of the counters holding a tray in his hands. He had a rather goofy grin on his face along with several food smears.

"Tyr, you are just in time to try my hors d'oeuvres." Dylan said happily. 

"I regret I am slightly busy at the moment, Sir." Tyr said, backing out of the room.

"Come on. Try one. I insist." Dylan said, coming from behind the counter and carrying the tray toward Tyr.

"Of course, always happy to oblige." Tyr said with a grimace.

Tyr took one of the brown lumps from the tray Dylan was holding. He slowly brought it toward his lips while Dylan watched him closely. The smell from the unidentifiable mess was already beginning to make his stomach roll. Suddenly there was another crash. Both men looked up to see a blur falling from the ceiling.

"OUCH! UGH! WATCH IT!" Three voices mingled together in a jumble. The three men slowly picked themselves up from the floor.

"Harper, what in heaven's name do you think you are doing?" Dylan yelled.

"I was, uh, testing the integrity of the crawlspaces?" 

"You ruined my hors d'oeuvres!" Dylan wailed.

"Shall I take him away and punish him?" Tyr asked ominously.

"No. I am sure he didn't mean to." Dylan answered. "But aren't you supposed to be painting one of crew's quarters for me?" he asked Harper.

"Yes, well I was going to but I got a little…distracted." Harper said looking at Tyr fearfully.

"Well, go get it done. I want it ready to show Beka tonight. Tyr go with him and make sure he gets my room done right." Dylan said absentmindedly. "I have to make some more appetizers for Beka now." He muttered, turning back to the mess he had already made. "If I can find anything left to make them out of."

"No problem." Tyr grinned. He grabbed Harper by the arm and began dragging him out of the room.

Once they were out of the kitchen Tyr turned to Harper.

"I owe you a beating for what you said about me earlier." He snarled.

Harper closed his eyes and waited for the pain to start.

"However, I also owe you for your intervention back there." Tyr added grudgingly. "I am not sure what that was he wanted me to taste but I am sure it wasn't edible. We are even."

"Really?" Harper squeaked, opening one eye slightly. "That's great. Thanks." He tried to leave but Tyr still had him by the arm.

"Not so fast. I still am under orders to make sure you do Dylan's painting for him." Tyr said with a grin. "I am going to make sure you do a perfect job, just like Dylan said."

"I got a bad feeling about this." Harper moaned.


	24. The Last Supper

Beka slowly trudged towards Dylan's quarters. She had spent the last few hours, when she wasn't being interrupted by the recent insanity of the crew, trying to figure a way out of tonight's dinner. Unfortunately, she had failed and was within minutes of facing Dylan's cooking. 

'At least Trance agreed to remain on standby in Medical just in case.' She thought as she walked the last couple of feet to his door.

Just as she reached the doorway, Dylan's door slid open and Harper and Tyr both came stumbling out. Their faces were pale and both looked more frightened than she ever remembered seeing them. Dylan followed them out. His face was bright red and his eyes held a maniacal glaze that Beka could not ever remember witnessing in her Captain's gaze before. He looked like he was going to say something else but he noticed Beka and stopped.

"Beka, you're here." He said nervously.

"Wasn't I supposed to be?" she asked confused.

"Yes, of course." He said regaining his composure. "I just got a little distracted and lost track of time. Nothing to worry about though, I have it all under control." Turning to the two men he said, "You two can leave now, we can finish our discussion later. I, for one, am looking forward to it." He added.

Beka watched as the two of them walked down the corridor. They still seemed a little disoriented. She caught a few fragments of conversation before they disappeared.

"I TOLD you that wasn't what he meant." Harper groused.

"But he said it." Tyr insisted. "I heard him."

"Do you think he could really do that to us?" Harper asked.

"I hope not." Tyr said with a shudder. "Surely it is illegal." he added.

Dylan cleared his throat and Beka turned her attention back to him.

"What was all that about?" she asked.

"Just a little misunderstanding." He said.

Beka suddenly noticed the bandage around his head.

"What happened to you?" 

"I just had a little accident. No big deal. Please, come in." He said.

Beka walked into Dylan's quarters. Her first thought was that a bubblegum machine had exploded. Her second thought was that Dylan had gone further over the deep end than she had first thought.

"What the hell happened in here?" she asked in disbelief.

"Tyr happened, and Harper." He mumbled.

"Care to explain?"

"I told Harper to get to painting on the crew quarters for you. I told Tyr to go with him and 'make sure he got my room right'. Tyr took that to mean my personal room. That is the result." He said gesturing around him at his newly painted décor.

Beka couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I do like the shade he picked at least. Pink really is a nice color."

Dylan led the way to the table. Beka noticed he was limping. 

"Dylan, where else are you hurt? And what happened."

"I am fine, really. Just ahh, bruised my ego. That's all." He said pulling out her chair for her. She chose not to mention the large fluffy pillow she noticed on his own chair, assuming it was for his bruised 'ego'.

"I thought you might enjoy some entertainment before we started eating." He said.

At Dylan's signal, four 'bots came from the side room. They were all dressed in tuxedos with top hats and each carried a cane. They lined up at the back of the room while Dylan went over to join them. He put on his own hat and picked up a cane. Beka groaned but managed to keep a smile on her face. Music began to play and the bots began to dance in synchronization. Dylan began to sing.

"I've got sunshine…on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside… I've got the month of May. Well, I guess you'll say… What can make me feel this way? My girl."

The bots sang the chorus, "My girl, my girl."

"Talkin' 'bout my girl."

"My girl."

They continued on for some time, singing and dancing to several songs Beka did not recognize. After the fourth song, Dylan joined her at the table.

"That was…nice." Beka said. "Really unexpected. I don't know what to say."

"I just want to make you feel special Beka." 

"Oh, don't worry. I feel like I am the one and only right about now." She said. 'The one and only sane person left on this ship that is.' She added mentally.

"Good." Dylan said with a grin. "Now, shall we eat?"

Beka gulped. "Sure, why not?" 'What the hell.' She thought. 'You only live once anyway, unless you are Trance of course. Maybe I should have let her take my place. She at least has a chance of surviving this.'

The bots brought out the meal. Beka had not had much of an appetite to begin with. Now she had even less of one. Every thing was brown, shapeless, and unidentifiable.

"Looks great." She said.

Dylan beamed.

Beka picked up her fork and scooped a little of what she thought might have once been meat onto it. She raised it to her lips. She opened her mouth. She screamed.

The sprinklers suddenly came on drenching both Dylan and Beka with freezing cold water. Both of them jumped away from the table, scrambling to find some way to stop the downpour. Failing this, they both hurried out into the hallway.

Holo-Rommie appeared in front of them.

"I am sorry Dylan. There seems to be a problem with some of my systems."

"Really, we didn't notice anything." He said sarcastically.

"What happened?" Beka asked.

"What happened is that all our food got ruined." Dylan whined. "I worked so hard on that meal."

"Hush." Beka said. "Andromeda, what happened with the sprinklers?"

"It seems that when Harper and the bots painted Dylan's quarters, some of the paint got into my wiring and shorted it out. That must have caused a small fire and the sprinklers came on as a result. I am sorry that your dinner was ruined. However, if the two of you will go to the dining area, I will have some bots fix you another meal."

"I guess we don't have much choice." Dylan grumped. "I am so sorry Beka. I really wanted tonight's dinner to be special."

"Don't worry about it Dylan. It wasn't your fault. Now lets go get something to eat." She said suddenly much happier.

They started to walk away. Beka turned and saw the hologram still standing behind them. She mouthed the words 'Thank you'.

­­­­­Holo-Rommie winked.


	25. Whistling Dixie

Rommie left the machine shop with a sigh of satisfaction. Harper had done a wonderful job of repairing the problems caused by the Love Bug's venom. He had also cleaned all her surrounding circuitry to be sure no more venom remained within her systems. She felt wonderfully relaxed, as though she had just soaked in a luxurious tub of hot bubbles. 

'Not that I would indulge in such behavior.' She thought to herself as she continued on toward command. 'Although,' she silently reflected, 'it might be worth trying if it can make me feel this way. I will have to speak to Beka; I know she has several different types of bubbles that she uses. Or perhaps I could ask Tyr to borrow some of his.' She shook her head vigorously at this thought. She had no desire to ask Tyr anything while he was still affected by the Love Bug, especially not anything as personal as something to do with bathing.

Holo-Rommie appeared before her, thankfully interrupted her train of thought.

"I take it from Harper's report that you are now back to full working capacity?" the hologram inquired.

"Yes, I am back to one hundred percent effiencency.  I am happy to say that there are no lingering effects from the venom." Rommie replied stiffly. She was still slightly miffed that her two 'sister' personalities chose to gang up on her while she was inflicted with the venom.

"That is good to hear. We were becoming increasingly concerned with your attraction to our weapon's officer. He is not what we would consider suitable relationship material."

"Why the hell not?" Rommie demanded without thinking. She realized what she had said and was aghast.

"No lingering affects? Are you certain of that?" Holo-Rommie asked, raising her eyebrow inquisitively. "Perhaps you should allow Harper to do another scan of your systems."

"There is nothing wrong with my systems. I simply do not think that you are in any position to judge who is or isn't suitable." Rommie said huffily before walking through the hologram of herself and continuing on her way to command.

She arrived on the command deck a short time later. The bridge was empty except for Beka who was leaning against her station console, twirling the stem of a half dead flower between her fingers. She was lost in thought and did not seem to hear Rommie enter.

"Good morning Beka." Rommie said.

Beka jumped about two feet into the air and turned to look at Rommie while holding her hand over her heart. 

"Geeze, what is it with people trying to freak me out lately?" she asked.

"Sorry, I did not realize that saying good morning would 'freak you out'." Rommie said with a slight grin.

"I am sorry Rommie. It's just that EVERYTHING that has happened in the last day and half has been freaky."

"Oh, I agree with you there." 

"So how are you feeling? Everything back to normal?" 

"Yes." Rommie replied. The avatar hesitated a moment as if considering the matter. "Or at least as normal as I have come to consider the things that happen around here. Not that I am sure things around here are all that normal." She added.

Beka could not help but laugh. "You ain't just whistling Dixie there." She said, repeating an ancient phrase her dad was fond of. The look of confusion on Rommie's face only caused her to laugh harder.


	26. R.S.V.P.'s or is that R.I.P.'s?

It was several hours later and the two women were still alone on command. They had spent much of their time discussing some of the ludicrous things the men had done since they had been bitten.

"Okay, Rommie; you win." Beka said. "Tyr's space ballet was definitely the worst."

"True." Rommie said with a slight shudder. "But Dylan's dinner came close."

"The dinner was horrible." Beka agreed. "We must remember to ban him from the kitchens from now on. But as bad as the cooking was, the entertainment was much worse."

"Because of his singing?"

"No, the singing was actually okay. But that man can NOT dance." She said as she began to laugh once more.

They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Harper and Trance entered command, looking at their two laughing crewmates a little apprehensively.

"You two okay?" Harper asked. "You're not losing it again are you?"

Striving hard to keep her face straight, Beka replied, "Yes Harper, as a matter of fact it is already gone."

"I have looked for it in four hundred and seventy three different locations." Rommie said, her tone completely straightforward. "It is most definitely lost."

Harper looked from one woman to the other, momentarily confused. "Ha ha ha, very funny. I thought I was supposed to be the resident smart ass around here."

"Oh, you are. Don't worry Harper, we wouldn't dream of trying to usurp that position from you." Beka laughed.

"Yes, you are the undisputed king of the smart asses." Rommie agreed. "We would never try to compete with you in that."

"Um, yeah, well good. Cause I would hate to make you lovely ladies look bad." He said, hitching up his pants and sticking out his chest.

The door opened again and Dylan entered. He was pale and looked a little bewildered.

Beka hesitated before asking, "Dylan, are you alright?"

He looked startled as if only just realizing he had company. "I am not really sure. I seem to have been really busy the last two days but I can't seem to recall much of what has happened."

"There is a good reason for that Dylan." Trance said cheerfully.

"Really?" he asked skeptically. "And does that reason include an explanation as to why I have one hundred and twelve messages from Common Wealth members saying they will be honored to attend my wedding to Beka?" He asked with the wild-eyed look of a cornered animal.


	27. Won't mention it again

Dylan and Beka were walking down the corridor towards the mess hall. Dylan had spent the last two hours listening to his friends explain what had happened to him over the last forty- eight hours. He seemed to be torn between mild amusement and unmitigated horror at his own behavior.

"I can't believe I said I could cook." He groaned as Beka finished telling about the disastrous dinner he had prepared. "I should know better than to go anywhere near a stove after that pancake incident." He said with a shudder.

"Yes, well, you weren't exactly behaving normally." Beka laughed.

"I guess not." He said gloomily. "I really am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or if I upset you, Beka. I would never intentionally do that to you."

"I know Dylan." She replied with a small smile. "Besides it wasn't all bad. Some of the things you did were quite nice actually."

"Really?" he asked shyly. "What things?"

Before she could elaborate any further, Dylan suddenly pushed Beka up against the wall. She was momentarily startled until she saw Rommie bearing down on them at a full run. Rommie tore around the corner and disappeared before either of them could react further. Tyr came tearing down the hallway after Rommie.

"But Roooommmiiieee, I love you!" He called. "Please wait, we can work this out! ROMMIE!!"

His voice disappeared as he also turned into another corridor, searching for his fleeing love. Beka and Dylan suddenly became aware of how close they were standing together, pressed up against the wall. Dylan jumped back as if he had been burned. Indeed his face appeared as red as fire itself. 

"So, umm," he stuttered. "Has he been like that the whole time?" he asked, pointing down the corridor Tyr had disappeared into.

"Pretty much." Beka said, straightening up from where she had been pushed against the wall. "You really missed a good show. Tyr is quite the showman." She laughed.

Shaking his head, Dylan sighed and asked, "Was I that pathetic?"

"Yes." Beka said, her face breaking into an ear-to-ear grin. "But don't worry. I promise not to mention the last two days ever again."

"Really?" he asked doubtfully.

"Really. Besides, I have no need to mention it. I made sure Andromeda recorded every second of it."

"You what?" he asked dismayed.

Beka put her hands behind her back and skipped away a few paces. "I also made sure that those recordings were transferred to my private files where only I can access them. Just in case." She said grinning even wider. She was enjoying making him as uncomfortable as he had made her lately.

"Just in case of what?" He asked with a growl.

"Oh you never know; they might come in handy some day. Who knows what I may have need of in the future. I figure I have a lifetime supply of blackmail material on those tapes." She said with a laugh.

"Ha Ha! Very funny." Dylan said, although he looked slightly worried.

Beka continued to skip off down the corridor. Dylan hesitated then started to follow her.

"Beka, you are just kidding right? Right Beka? Beka!!!!"


	28. He asked me if...

Beka made her way to medical with Dylan following her. When she entered the room she saw that Trance and Harper had already arrived. They were both standing by Rev's bed. Rev was still unconscious and still wearing Trance's nightgown.

"So have you decided what to do about him, Trance?" Beka asked as she and Dylan joined them at Rev's bedside.

"I am not really sure what I can do for him. I have healed the concussion he received from Tyr but I can't do much about the bug bite." Trance said. 

"Tyr gave him a concussion?" Dylan asked. "Why?"

"He was highly motivated." Beka said with a grin.

"Why is he still not awake if you have healed his head wound?" Dylan asked. "And why in the known worlds is he wearing a flowered nightgown?"

"I had to sedate him because of the effects the venom was having on him. It seems to work a little bit different on Magog. They seem to fall in love with every person they see. He not only tried to hug Tyr but he kissed one of Andromeda's 'bots and he…" she trailed off looking slightly embarrassed. 

"What did he do, Trance?" Beka asked while giving Harper a stern look that stifled his giggles.

"He," she began before taking a deep breath, "he stroked my tail."

"I see." Beka said, trying to keep a straight face. "And is that when you sedated him?" 

"No!" Trance said petulantly. "I didn't sedate until after he asked me if I had ever used my tail to…well never mind what he said." She said, her cheeks glowing a brilliant crimson. "Just trust me when I say it would be best to keep him asleep until the venom wears off."

"If you say so Trance. It probably would be best then. What do you think Dylan?" Beka asked.

"Okay." Dylan said. "You are the acting medical officer, Trance, so I will take your advice. But will someone PLEASE tell me why he is wearing that nightgown?!?"


	29. ...Or Not!

Harper stood in his machine shop surveying the results of his latest job. Satisfied that everything was in order for the moment, he began to get ready to leave to join everyone in the dining hall. Dylan had called a dinner party so that everyone could get together and relax now that everything was back to normal. Rev was conscious and out of his medical bed. He was also out of Trance's flowered nightgown, much to everyone's relief. Dylan had accepted what had happened and done his best to put things behind him. He and Beka had actually come out of the whole situation with a newfound understanding of each other. It had taken some explaining to the recipients of the wedding invitations, but all of them had been understanding and most had thought it a wonderful story to pass on to their friends. The only thing Dylan had not been able to set right yet was his newly decorated quarters. It would be some time until Harper had a chance to repaint them. He had many more important things to occupy his time. 

'I guess it could have been worse.' He sighed to himself. 'Trance could have been a little slower sedating Tyr and he could have destroyed twice as much as he did.'

Shaking his head at the thought, Harper left to find his friends.

The rest of the crew had already gathered in the dining hall. Rev and Trance were standing to the side talking in quiet tones. Rev seemed to keep repeating how sorry he was for his behavior while Trance was practically begging him to 'forget it already'.

Tyr sat at the end of one of the tables with his face buried in his hands. He was refusing to look at anyone. Rommie sat to Tyr's left and was taking great pleasure in making him uncomfortable by sitting as close as she could to him and occasionally brushing her arm against his. He would have never come if Dylan had not insisted that he attend the party. He would never have stayed once Rommie had seated herself had Dylan not taken precautions to keep him in his seat. As it was the cuffs that were attached to his legs were beginning to chafe. 

Beka sat across the table from Rommie with Dylan seated beside her. They were all waiting on Harper to join them. Trance and Rev joined the others at the table and everyone sat around in silence for a moment not knowing what to say.

"So." Dylan began uncomfortably. "It's definitely been an interesting couple of days."

"Interesting is not the word I would have used." Beka said with a grin.

"If I ever behave in such a manner again," Tyr began, startling everyone by speaking, "please do me the courtesy of putting me out of my misery."

"Don't you mean out of OUR misery?" Rommie asked impishly.

Everyone laughed and the tension was broken. They began ribbing each other about their actions.

"Well, at least I did not attempt to have a warship painted pink." Tyr replied loudly in response to Dylan's teasing about his space dance.

Before Dylan could make a reply, the door slid open to reveal Harper, who was bending over scratching his leg.

"Hey guys, sorry I am late." Harper said while still bent over. "I just want you to know that I," he continued while standing up and raising his head, "…am madly in love with you!" he finished while looking at…

**THE END!**

**Or not…**


End file.
